Three months after the Action for Life 5 programme, Solomon Adane, a young man from Ethiopia, shares his experience before, during and after the programme.
I was wondering what it means by; 'Action for Life aims to develop a new generation of change makers equipped with integrity and faith who are committed to transformation in the world by starting with themselves'. I didn't really understand what it meant. But it didn't bother me at all whether I understood it or not because I was thinking about India, fund raising, visa, air ticket, insurance...and other practical things. I was also excited because that was my first time to visit overseas and it was my first time to fly on a plane! I had two jobs with a reasonable income and quitting my job was quite painful since finding employment in Ethiopia is not easy. However, I felt travelling to India for the Action for Life programme was worth it.
We started living as a community of 30 people from 18 different countries. It was magnificent! I had never been part of such a diverse group in my life: inter-age, inter-faith, different educational background, everything was different! For many people this kind of community may be ideal, however that isn’t what I see in the real world.
When I joined the group, I was new to the ideas of Initiatives of Change (IofC), and I hid inside my shell for several weeks. I wanted to get out of the shell so I started challenging myself by doing things that I had never done before, such as singing and dancing in front of people. I also asked for forgiveness from my former boss and two of my friends that I had wronged. That was a turning point for me and it made me understand why I was meant to be there.
I had struggles to understand the spiritual part of the training, i.e. listening to the inner voice or God's guidance. There was a session called 'Exploring Change' which set me free. I was always worried about how I can change others. I realized that I can only change myself and that through changing myself I can engage others to create an answer for humanity which will in turn give hope to all of us. For me that was a true experience of freedom.
I was a bit frightened living as a community. Over Christmas I had a moment when my soul moved to another level of understanding. The organizer of the Christmas celebrations was a friend from Vietnam, who didn't have a faith. We celebrated as a community; sang songs, prayed, and exchanged gifts. That was the best moment in my journey. That day, I thought how colourful it would be if our inclusive mindset would be active all the time. I realized how important it is for me to move my mindset from an exclusive one to an inclusive one.
In Eastern Europe, where I went for my outreach, I was challenged intellectually on how to take initiatives, be realistic, live as I believe and to be ready to help others. During the Action for Life programme I achieved what I wanted and expected; I was able to take some actions, find my deepest sense of meaning in life and I also learned an important lesson which will take me far in life.
What does my experiences or Initiatives of Change ideas mean for my country? One of my reasons to join the programme was to get an experience that I will use to support the younger generation in Ethiopia. I believe it will help but I need to work out and understand how. I don't exactly remember from where I read the following: 'Bamboo tree takes three or four years to deepen its root before it reaches to the height'. At the moment I am taking time to really reflect and understand what happened and what will be my next steps.
Finally I want to pass my gratitude, gratefulness, and appreciation to everyone who supported me financially, spiritually, morally and for being my friend.
I was wondering what it means by; 'Action for Life aims to develop a new generation of change makers equipped with integrity and faith who are committed to transformation in the world by starting with themselves'. I didn't really understand what it meant. But it didn't bother me at all whether I understood it or not because I was thinking about India, fund raising, visa, air ticket, insurance...and other practical things. I was also excited because that was my first time to visit overseas and it was my first time to fly on a plane! I had two jobs with a reasonable income and quitting my job was quite painful since finding employment in Ethiopia is not easy. However, I felt travelling to India for the Action for Life programme was worth it.